Everything you need to know about the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup

Ryan Bailey
Updated

The FIFA Club World Cup aims to decide the best domestic team in the world by bringing together the champions of all six FIFA Confederations. This year’s edition is being hosted in Qatar, starting Wednesday December 11th and finishing 10 days later with the final.

A seventh team will join the six continental champions, that’s Qatar’s All-Sadd, who are coached by Barcelona legend Xavi.

In the opening match, they’ll face Oceania minnows Hienghene Sport, who have travelled over 8,000 miles from the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia.

The host team aren’t necessarily there to make up the numbers among champions: in the last six editions, the hosts have made the final three times!

If All-Sadd pull through—and they are heavy favorites to do so—they’ll face CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey in the second round on Saturday.

Then comes the semi-final stage, where the two biggest teams start their campaign: Champions League winners Liverpool and Copa Libertadores champions Flamengo

It’s expected, but not guaranteed, that Liverpool will beat probable semifinal opponents Monterrey to face Brazilian side Flamengo, and their star striker Gabigol, in the final.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are heavy favorites to win the tournament, and the European entrant has won the last six editions of the contest.

However, despite Liverpool’s six European titles, they have never won a World Final. The three times they have faced South American opponents at this level have all ended in defeat, too.

They lost to Sao Paulo in 2005, Independiente in 1984 and his year’s potential opposition Flamengo in 1981.

The most recent English side to make the final, Chelsea in 2012, were also dismissed by Brazilian opposition in the form of Corinthians. They tend to take this competition a lot more seriously in South America than Europe.

But with that said, given the relative lack of defending in the recent Copa Libertadores final and Liverpool’s current dominance, it seems highly likely that The Reds will bring home their first Club World Cup title.

In the States you can watch all the matches on the Fox Network, with the final taking place at the very reasonable hour of 12.30pm ET on Saturday 21 December, on the main Fox channel.

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